Crucifixes and Crescent Wrenches
by IAmYourPhobia
Summary: A new maintenance person has been hired at Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, which wouldn't be that remarkable if she wasn't human. Kurt Wagner aka Nightcrawler takes immediate notice of the new staff member and soon develops a friendship with her that may lead to something more.
1. Pain and Hello

**Hello! This story is meant to be a kind of series of one shots that follow in consecutive order, in a way. **

**In other words it's not going to be incredibly long, but it will have a few chapters. **

**Hope you enjoy. :)**

**Copyright Statement: I don't own the X-Men, only Anna.**

**Crucifixes and Crescent Wrenches**

**Ch. 1**

**Pain and Hello**

Kurt Wagner sighed wearily and, without his usual grace, dropped like a rock onto his bed. Unfortunately, this action reminded him that his ribs were bruised and the pain made him hiss and flash his pointed teeth.

The X-Men had just got back from a mission where they had yet again prevented the Brotherhood of Mutants from annihilating human life. This particular excursion had happened in reaction to some of the members of the Brotherhood taking it upon themselves to attack a hospital in Maine because they thought mutants were being secretly experimented on there.

This in fact had not been true and the X-Men had come in to curtail the destruction. Kurt frowned and rubbed his sore ribs. Toad had given him a swift kick in the side before Kurt had managed to slam him into a wall and away from a screaming nurse.

Turning his head, Kurt gazed out the window and onto the X-Mansion grounds below.

The warmth from the afternoon sun coupled with his exhaustion made him quickly grow sleepy. His suddenly heavy eyelids were halfway closed and his brain was randomly registering that the grass outside was really in need of a cut when Professor Xavier's voice spoke within his mind.

_X-Men, I apologize for the intrusion, but I need everyone to meet me in my office. We have a new staff member. _

Kurt groaned and slowly climbed to his feet, his tail swishing in irritation. He wasn't really angry, just a little grumpy. The Professor always asked the X-Men to a group introduction when someone new joined the X family. It was a safety procedure so that all of the X-Men wouldn't be surprised to find someone suddenly arriving on the property and to prevent Wolverine from gutting them on sight.

Annoyed and mumbling a prayer for patience, Kurt stood and shook out the kinks in his muscles before teleporting outside the Professor's office door.

He could have teleported inside the office, but he didn't like to startle new comers with his sudden appearance and his appearance in general. Getting called a demon more times than you can count tends to make one a little nervous meeting people.

Mentally preparing himself, he turned the knob and opened the door.

Only Logan aka Wolverine had made it there before him and was currently leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a bored expression on his face. The Professor was talking to a woman, presumably the new staff member since Kurt didn't recognize her. He was just about to turn and step back into the shadowed part of the room, as was his habit, when Xavier called out to him.

"Kurt, I'd like you to meet our new maintenance person. This is Anna Gadhavi. She will be taking care of grounds maintenance, vehicle upkeep, house repairs, and so forth. Anna, this is Kurt Wagner, our German and fencing instructor and a member of my team. "

Kurt stepped closer and took a good look at the woman.

She had dark tan skin and straight black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Appearing to be in her mid-twenties, she dressed simply in a gray tank top, jeans, and work boots. If she was startled by his appearance, she did a good job of hiding it as she stuck out her hand and gave him a pretty smile that made his charming side come out.

Taking her hand, he grinned before kissing it. "Guten tag, fräulein. It is nice to meet you."

He fully expected her to pull back from his three- digit hand, but she appeared more surprised by the hand-kiss and merely glanced at his hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Wagner."

Retiring to a shadowy corner, Kurt continued to observe Anna as the other X-Men began to file in. She smiled politely and spoke to everyone that approached her, though he did notice her eyes kept finding their way to his. He didn't know if he should be nervous or take it as a compliment.

After everyone had been introduced, the Professor cleared his throat and spoke.

"I wanted to make one thing clear before Anna gets started and I believe it would be better if the team knows. Anna is not a mutant."

Kurt looked at Xavier, clearly startled. He hadn't been expecting that.

"She is human, and may be resented by some of the students for that reason. Though we try to stamp out prejudice at this school, it can still linger. Please keep an eye out for her and step in if you feel she is going to be harassed. I hired her for her excellent maintenance skills and she will be living here while she is employed, so she will be a common sight. Thank you, that is all."

As the others filed out, Anna immediately walked over to Kurt, who was just leaving as well.

"Excuse me Mr. Wagner, I don't mean to be a bother, but could you please show me around? Professor Xavier was going to do it, but I'd hate to interrupt his work."

Kurt glanced back at Xavier, who quickly tried to look busy as he shuffled papers around on his desk. Looking up at Kurt, he gave him a small smile.

_If you would be so kind, Kurt. I thought you could use some company. _

Kurt mentally rolled his eyes and laughed. The Professor was always trying to help those around him, and he knew Kurt often avoided others due to his appearance, despite the fact that he really did enjoy being with people. Not to mention Anna could use a friend at the school, where she might be alienated due to her species.

Kurt shrugged. Who was he to turn down giving a beautiful lady a tour? Taking her arm, he smiled at her.

"Of course, fräulein, but please, call me Kurt."

**Please work with me on the German accent. I'm trying.**


	2. Beginnings and Teleportation

**Another chapter up! Also, it's my attempt at a longer chapter. **

**Oh, if you haven't guessed by now, Anna is Indian American (as in her family is from India, but she was born in the U.S.).**

**Btw, let me know if I'm royally screwing up Kurt's German accent. Thanks.**

**Copyright Statement: The X-Men are not mine, bla bla bla, Anna is, yada yada yada.**

**Crucifixes and Crescent Wrenches**

**Ch. 2**

**Beginnings and Teleportation**

*Earlier that Day*

Anna Gadhavi walked out of her tiny apartment in North Salem, New York, for the last time. Holding a duffel bag stuffed with clothes, she turned back and sighed sadly.

She'd enjoyed living there for a year, but she knew it was time to move on. She had been hired by a private school to fulfill a much-needed maintenance position. It was going to be a good job and she would be provided accommodations there, but it still made her a little depressed to be leaving her former refuge.

With a shrug, she turned and headed for her silver 1968 Camaro without looking back again. Time for a new beginning.

Shoving her bag in the trunk, she got in the car and turned the key, smiling proudly as the engine purred to life. As she pushed on the gas pedal, the vehicle let out a roar as she turned out of the parking lot and made her way towards Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters. Anna already knew what "gifted youngsters" meant, Professor Xavier had wanted to be clear about that, but she had no problem with it and after being allowed to read her mind, the Professor knew this to be true and welcomed her to the staff.

Reaching over and turning the dial to a classic rock station, she sung aloud to Guns N' Roses to calm her nerves as the scenery flashed past outside. Before long she was pulling up the drive to the school and gasped at how large it was. The Professor had interviewed her in town, so she hadn't seen the actual school yet.

Staring in awe, she parked her car and climbed out, head craned back to see to the top of the mansion. Blinking rapidly, she turned and made her way for the door. She could hear young voices coming from the back property but didn't see anyone yet.

Opening the large wooden front door, she slowly stepped inside the huge entrance area and looked around, wondering how to find Professor Xavier.

_Take the stairs, Ms. Gadhavi, then go right. _

Anna jumped, cursing in Hindi and trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. She still wasn't used to that.

_My apologies for startling you. _

With a heavy sigh, she trudged up the stairs and made her way to Xavier's office. Once there, she was told by the older bald gentleman, who looked too amused to be decent, that she would meet his team shortly. They had just gotten back from a mission and would join them soon. Team meaning X-Men, in other words.

In an effort to put a lid on her excitement, Anna asked Xavier about the fate of the previous maintenance person. He replied that the man had felt that even being near the institute would end in his demise along with the other mutants there, so he went into hiding. Anna would actually be the first human on staff.

Trying not to have a panic attack right there, Anna breathed deeply and focused on calming herself. She could do this, no problem.

At that precise moment the door came flying open and in stomped a very short man who looked like he could eat bricks for breakfast. A chaotic assembly of bulging muscles and wild hair, he put out his cigar against his hand, _his hand_, and stuck it back in between his teeth. Anna watched in fascination as the burn healed in a matter of seconds.

She'd met some tough men in her day, but this guy took the cake.

Looking up, she saw that he was staring at her with a healthy amount of distrust and a little bit of curiosity.

The Professor cleared his throat. "Anna, this is Logan. He is our hand-to-hand combat instructor and gym teacher. Logan, Anna is our new maintenance personnel."

Logan was silent for a long moment before grunting and nodding his head. "Nice to meet ya, darlin'."

Turning, he walked over to a wall and leaned his back on it while crossing his arms.

_Darlin'? _

Xavier gave a small chuckle at her perplexed thought. Just as she was starting to ask the Professor a question, a soft _bamf_ sound came from the other side of the door.

Logan sniffed the air. "Elf's here."

Anna was so absorbed in her question she didn't really pay attention to the man opening the door and entering the room until the Professor spoke to him and invited him to come meet her. Looking towards the man, she did a double take and fought to keep any surprise out of her expression.

He didn't scare her or startle her as he undoubtedly did most people, but more like fascinated her. He was actually rather striking with his indigo coloring and pointed ears. As she extended her hand, his golden eyes and flashing grin made her smile, which seemed to make his grin grow larger. His hand kiss combined with his German accent would make him a lady-killer if they lived in a world where people didn't persecute others for being different.

After he retreated to a dark corner of the room and the other X-Men filed in, Anna couldn't help glancing at him every now and then. He intrigued her and for some reason made her feel calm in a room full of strangers, though he was a stranger himself.

As the X-Men began to leave the room, Anna glanced at Professor Xavier and saw that he was fairly busy. Though she preferred to find her own way in new places and didn't really want to hang out with anyone yet, she knew it would be more efficient for someone to show her around.

Looking at the X-Men, she didn't spot anyone she'd want to ask until she saw Kurt heading for the door.

Feeling a little awkward, she called out to him and asked for his assistance, but felt reassured when he seemed genuinely happy to help.

Taking the arm he offered, she followed him as he led her down the hall.

"Ve vill take ze long vay for your first time here, ja?"

"Oh, there's a shortcut through this mansion?"

Kurt grinned. "Vith me zere is."

Curious but not sure she really wanted to know, Anna remained silent as he pointed out the wings of the mansion, the garage, and the garden shed out back that contained the lawnmower and weedeater. The sun was just going down when Kurt stopped and cocked his head to the side as if listening to something, then turned to her. He looked almost bashful about what he was going to say.

"Ze Professor hes esked me to tell you zat you are being assigned ze room next to me. He feels zet ve vould be goot company for each oter."

Anna smiled a little. "It's okay Kurt. That's fine with me. Let me just go get my stuff out of my car."

She turned to walk around the side of the mansion when she felt Kurt take her hand. Looking back in surprise, she found him staring intensely at her. "How about ve take my shortcut now?" Her eyes widened when he gently pulled her to him and up against his chest.

"Close your eyes." he whispered in her ear.

Anna wasn't really sure where this was going, but she sensed that she could trust him and did as he said. There was a _bamf_ sound and suddenly the world lurched while the smell of brimstone filled her nose. Just when she thought she would be pulled in different directions, she heard the _bamf_ again and her feet were planted on solid ground once more.

Slowly opening her eyes, she saw that they were standing by her car, _in the front yard_.

"What, how…?"

Noticing Kurt was still holding her to him, she looked up as he grinned sheepishly and released her.

"I cen teleport."

She took a step and almost fell as everything began to spin, but Kurt caught her before she could fall.

"Sorry Enna, first time always causes tizziness."

/

_Oh great, you've tone it now. It vas too much shock for her. _Kurt mentally berated himself as he watched for Anna's reaction.

He also knew he shouldn't have held her for as long as he had, but he couldn't help it. She smelled nice, like a flower he had once caught the scent of in the atrium but couldn't remember the name of. A type of orchid maybe.

Bringing himself out of his thoughts, he was surprised to see her smiling.

"Teleportation?! That is really cool."

Up until now she had been quiet, not speaking much and listening to him as he gave her the tour. It was kind of touching to see her get this excited over something, and especially that something being him.

Knowing his cheeks had turned a darker blue, he reached for one of her bags after she had opened the trunk door.

"Danke, you are too kind. If you vant, I vill teleport us to your room."

She agreed and he transported her things and then her to the room next to his.

"If you need anyting else, just let me know, ja?"

She surprised him again by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Kurt, for taking the time to help me out."

She gave his shoulder a squeeze before gathering her bags and taking them into her room.


	3. Swords and Family

**Sorry this chapter is so short, but the next one is longer.**

**Oh, and as a side note, though I love Indian culture I am not an expert in it, **

**so if I get something wrong please point it out and I will correct it. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the non Marvel owned characters.**

**Crucifixes and Crescent Wrenches**

**Ch. 3**

**Swords and Family**

Over the next few days, Kurt watched as Anna settled in and began her work. In no time the grounds' grass was cut, all the vehicles were in proper working order, and many repairs around the mansion that had been put off were done. It wasn't uncommon to find Anna outside weedeating or in the garage underneath someone's car.

It also wasn't uncommon to see her and Kurt spending time together on the roof of the X-Mansion after she had finished for the day, which was somewhat surprising to the other inhabitants of the school since both of them were more of the loner type. However, they got along well and soon found they enjoyed each other's company.

One particular Saturday evening they decided to hang out on the roof as usual and look at the stars while conversing on any number of random topics.

Kurt sat poised on the balls of his feet, his golden eyes glowing in the dark as he watched Anna while she sat with her legs crossed and head back, her long hair softly moving in the she was covered in grease and kept yawning occasionally, she was smiling as she gazed up at the twinkling lights.

A few clouds that had been blocking part of the sky moved, revealing a full moon that filled the night with silver light. Without taking her eyes off the celestial satellite, she spoke in a whisper.

"In India, Hindus believe that the moon is and is governed by a god named Chandra. He rides in a chariot, which is also the moon, and is pulled across the sky by ten white horses. In another version of him, he is a drink. When the moon wanes, the gods have drunk him, but when it waxes he is recreating himself."

Kurt listened with fascination as she spoke softly, conveying more stories from her religion.

Just because he was Catholic didn't mean he felt like he should lecture others about their beliefs. He truly believed that God loved everyone and would disapprove of His children not being respectful of others. The world had enough hate in it.

Gently rubbing the crucifix around his neck, he spent some time just discussing religion in general with Anna.

Their talk eventually led to mentioning their likes and hobbies and Kurt was surprised to find that Anna not only loved Errol Flynn movies as much as he did, but also had a love of swords in general. Quickly standing up with an excited grin, she held out a hand to him. "Want to see something really cool? Let's go to my room."

Arching an eyebrow but choosing not to say anything, Kurt pulled her close and teleported them inside her room.

Quickly walking over to her closet, Anna rummaged around before carefully picking up a sword encased in a red metal hilt.

"I haven't displayed this on my wall yet because I wasn't sure if Professor Xavier would approve of me putting up nails."

Gripping the silver hilt, she pulled the sword from the scabbard and revealed a wickedly curved blade that was skinny but deadly looking. It was definitely an old sword, but one that had been obviously cared for. The blade shone in the moonlight streaming in through the window, making Kurt blink his eyes.

"It is vundabar. Vhat is its story?"

Anna smiled, still looking at the sword with pride in her dark eyes.

"It's a talwar and has been in my family for centuries. It has protected my ancestors in countless battles and has now been passed down to me. Traditionally, it would have been given to my older brother, but he felt that I deserved it."

Instead of elaborating on why that would be, she slid the sword back into its hilt

Kurt watched her as she placed the talwar back in the closet and sat on the edge of her bed, gazing out the window at the moonlit grounds outside, lost in thought. Suddenly seeming to remember he was there, she smiled at him and patted the spot beside her.

"Sit down, Kurt! You don't have to stand over there. I promise I won't molest you or anything."

Kurt's laughter was calm and cool, but his tail twitched nervously as he slowly walked over and sat down on the bedspread. They were both quiet before Kurt gathered the courage to ask her about her family.

Anna's smile dropped slightly and her eyes became sad.

She hesitated before answering and Kurt realized she must be a very private person and hesitant to talk about her past.

"My brother, Anil, was born in India, but when he was 1 year old my family decided to look for work in America, so they moved over here. I was born 2 years later in Chicago, where Anil and I grew up. We had a happy childhood, for the most part. It was hard, but we weren't homeless."

Here she stopped and glanced at Kurt warily. He smiled and reached for her hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

"However, my father had a hard time looking for work. My mother was able to, but we needed two incomes. No one would hire my father though. You see, he's a mutant with a physical mutation, and so is my brother."

Kurt was more than a little shocked. He didn't realize her family carried the mutant gene.

"It's pretty obvious too. Dad has a bat mutation, which gave him large bat wings on his back, pointed ears, and echolocation abilities. My brother is the same except he also is covered in short brown fur. This normally wouldn't be a problem and it still isn't for me, but because Dad couldn't find work he became desperate and resorted to robbing convenience stores. To try and hide his identity, he wore a hat and a long overcoat with his wings tucked in underneath."

Kurt gave her an inquisitive look and she seemed to understand what he meant by it.

"Yeah, he could have gone to work hiding himself, but whereas a robbery is quick, someone would eventually notice giant bat wings at work. Anyway, my mother became angry with him and they soon separated. My mother was a good woman, she understood that what he did he did for his family, but she also had very strong morals and didn't want us to grow up thinking that it was okay to just take what you want. My father quit robbing stores and was never caught, but my parents just couldn't mend their relationship. My brother and I took turns living with our parents over the years."

Anna looked at Kurt, trusting him with her inner thoughts.

"I guess that's why I got into mechanic and maintenance work. Vehicles, electrical work, squeaky doors, whatever, that's something I can actually fix."

She smiled at him.

"Sorry, I don't mean to get depressing on you, I just don't normally have someone I feel like telling."

Kurt nudged her shoulder.

"I am honored you vould vant to tell me. I too do not spend time around many people, but I hefe been enjoying your company. For now zough, I must say gute Nacht."

He was just about to teleport when she boldly leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Golden eyes blinking in surprise, he stared at her in shock as she leaned back and smiled.

"Good night."

Kurt thought he might say something, but thought better of it and nodded before disappearing in a dark cloud of smoke, his cheeks a deeper indigo than normal.


	4. Fights and Lullabies

**Disclaimer: No sue me and so forth.**

**Crucifixes and Crescent Wrenches**

**Ch. 4**

**Fights and Lullabies**

As time passed, Anna quickly settled into a comfortable routine at Xavier's school. Every work day she got up early, pulled on her work clothes, and went downstairs for breakfast before taking a walk around the premises to see what was wrong that day.

Sometimes one of the washing machines was acting up, sometimes one of the vehicles was making sputtering sounds, and at other times a toilet wouldn't flush. It was something every day, but the problems changed up a lot and kept her from being bored.

She was smart, she could have gone to college if she had wanted to, but she found comfort in being able to fix everyday problems that could lead to stress and chaos if left unchecked. Sure the X-Men saved lives and taught the students much needed skills, but she was the quiet presence in the background that kept the ship that was the X-Mansion steady and calm.

She was also beginning to notice a growing affection for Kurt and wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. Anna tended to avoid people, probably a leftover from being picked on in school for not only being a minority but also having mutant family members, and wasn't sure how to handle herself around him.

For now though, she considered him her favorite companion at the school and always spent time with him when she wasn't working.

Anna stayed pretty busy and hadn't gotten the chance to see Kurt instructing his students, so she was pleasantly surprised one day to find him teaching his fencing class.

It was a hot summer day and she had been weedeating throughout the morning. As sweat rolled down her face and arms, she momentarily turned off the weedeater for a breather and she looked up to see him standing on the lawn with a group of students huddled nearby.

All of the students were wearing padded armor, but Anna had to do a double take when she noticed that Kurt was shirtless and standing with his back ramrod straight while holding a foil, a type of non-lethal fencing sword, in one hand. He was completely still for a moment, then began to demonstrate a series of thrusting and evasive moves.

Anna was failing miserably at not openly staring as Kurt moved with incredible grace and speed, his lean muscles contracting and his tail swirling around behind to keep him balanced.

When he finished, many of the students clapped and cheered as he laughed and bowed.

"Alright class, I vill be beck in a moment. Break up in pairs and prectice."

A flash of light and a cloud of smoke and he was gone. Anna was about to get back to weedeating when she noticed two of the older teens, both males, glaring at her. She hadn't had any trouble so far because of the fact that she was human, but she knew some of the students were not exactly pleased about her being there.

Looking up again, she saw them glance at the others to make sure they were busy before heading in her direction.

_Oh no._

Calmly setting down the weedeater, she turned to face the boys as they walked up with hate in their eyes.

"So, the Professor thought it would be so great to hire a human, huh? I don't see why he let you on the property in the first place." said the taller one, whose red hair gleamed in the sunlight.

The shorter one, who looked like he probably did 500 sit ups a day just have the perfect abs, laughed. "Yeah, we don't need any humans around. You're yesterday's news, babe. We're the new and improved model."

The taller one nodded. "I think it's time you left."

Anna took a deep and soothing breath before staring them straight in the eyes.

"Now don't do something stupid, boys. Go back to what you were doing."

The tall one laughed. "What can you do about it?" He grabbed her arm.

Big mistake.

Before the boy could realize what was happening, Anna had twisted his wrist into a joint lock and turned him so that he was bent over and facing the ground while he yelled in pain.

The short one tried to tackle her but she lifted a foot and performed a very pretty front kick right into his solar plexus.

As air left the short guy's lungs in one big exit and he hit his knees, the tall one yanked his wrist out of her grip while she was distracted and attempted to punch her. She saw it coming though and blocked his punch with her arm before sending a palm strike at his nose and breaking it in the process.

As the tall one yelped and held a hand up to the blood flowing from his nostrils, Anna ducked as a fireball went flying over her head, singing a few strands of hair and burning the arm she threw up to protect her face.

Hissing in pain as she turned, she saw the short guy looking really pissed off as he created another fireball out of thin air and threw it at her.

Dodging the attack, she moved in quickly and was about to deliver a swift round kick to his head when two rubbery arms wrapped in loops around her body and yanked her backwards.

The tall boy glared her as blood continued to pour from his nose, his neck stretched out so he could see over her shoulder. "Bitch." He spat blood on the ground as the short guy walked towards her grinning, a fireball already formed in one hand.

"Okay, I want you to toss her so I can get in some target practice."

Anna quickly reached back and raked the tall guy's leg with a work boot, causing him to curse and release her.

As he stumbled back, she turned to face the fireball-carrying mutant who was heading right for her when there was a flash of light and Kurt appeared in front of her, facing the direction of his student. He was now carrying an old-fashioned wooden practice sword and, based on the tension in his back and the fast swishing of his tail, pretty angry.

Without saying a word, he stepped in and slammed the sword down on the short guy's arm that held the fireball, making the boy shout in pain and extinguish it. The tall guy tried to rush Kurt from behind. Just as Anna moved forward to stop him, Kurt quickly wrapped his tail around the boy's ankle and yanked him off his feet, effectively knocking him to the ground.

The short guy created another fireball and threw it in Kurt's direction, but the blue mutant teleported out of its path and appeared beside the boy. After a quick smack to the head with the sword, the boy fell to the ground as well.

Before the taller boy could get up, Anna ran to him and placed her foot on his neck. When he tried to stretch his neck away from her, she pushed down with all her strength and cut off his air supply in the process, which made him gasp and glare at her while returning his neck to its normal length.

The other students, obviously brand new ones who were unsure of themselves, milled about and whispered to each other in worried voices.

At that moment, Logan came striding up with leaves stuck in his crazy hair and definitely in a bad mood. Apparently he had been pretty deep in the woods and had just now come close enough to notice the trouble. With a grunt, he reached down and yanked each boy up by the scruff of the neck. Mumbling something about having to deal with stupid punks, he dragged them off non-too-gently to the Professor's office.

Anna turned to ask Kurt about the origin and the nerve of the students who accosted her when she noticed him standing right beside her and examining her with concern.

"Are you alright?"

Anna shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine. He got my arm but it'll be okay."

Kurt immediately grabbed her hand, pulling forward to look at the 2nd degree burn on the arm.

"You are going to see Hank."

Despite Anna's protests, he stepped close and teleported them to the hospital wing of the mansion.

Dr. McCoy, or Hank as Kurt referred to him, who was a large man covered in blue fur and the school's designated doctor, didn't even blink one golden eye when the X-Man and the maintenance repair woman appeared in front of his desk. Glancing up over the glasses perched on his nose, he quickly got up and came over to examine Anna when he saw the wound on her arm.

"Gracious. What happened to you, my dear?"

"Two students decided a human wasn't worthy enough to breathe on this property."

Hank's face went dark as he placed a hand on her back before leading her to a hospital bed and making her sit on it. Anna could tell the doctor had a lot of strength in his body, but he was extremely gentle as he applied a cold compress to the burn and covered it in gauze.

"Vhere did you learn to fight like thet?" Kurt asked as he hovered close by, causing Hank to give him an exasperated look.

Anna shrugged.

"I was in the Air Force for five years."

Kurt stared at her, his mouth open.

"Vhat?! I didn't know zat!"

Anna felt a little embarrassed for not having told him before, but it brought up bad memories.

"It's not a big deal. I was an aircraft mechanic. I'll tell you more later." Later meaning when no one else was around.

Kurt took the hint and remained silent as Hank finished patching her up. "There, you'll be fine now. Don't put ice on it and watch for any sign of infection."

Anna thanked him and tried to ignore the amused smile he was directing at Kurt, who still insisted on hovering.

After the pair visited Professor Xavier and told him the whole story, Xavier reassured her that the students would be punished and Kurt teleported them to the roof. As they sat watching the setting sun splash red and gold light across the sky, Anna sighed and glanced at Kurt.

"I left the Air Force when I saw how mutants were being treated. They normally weren't recruited, but if they managed to get in they were treated horribly. I fought I don't know how many times to defend a fellow solider against other soldiers. Eventually, enough was enough, and I left."

Kurt was silent for a long moment before slowly choosing his words.

"You are one of ze few humans I hafe efer met who hafe not run away screaming or attempted to kill me. Efen some mutants hafe flinched at ze sight of me. You zough, you do not care. It may be because you are used to your family, but I still find hope in your reaction. Maybe oters cen someday see me as a men, and not as a demon."

Anna smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I know they will Kurt."

Later that night, Anna was asleep when she was awakened by what sounded like pain-filled moans coming from Kurt's room. Always having been a light sleeper, she groggily climbed out bed and quickly stumbled out the door and into his room, not bothering to knock in her hurry.

Kurt was tossing and turning on his bed, his sheet knocked off and tail twitching beneath him while he mumbled in German.

Moving closer, Anna whispered so as not to shock him awake.

"Kurt? You're having a nightmare. Wake up."

He stirred a little but continued to moan.

Rubbing her eyes, she moved closer and shook his shoulder.

"Kurt, wake up."

No response. This was bad. Kurt was very sensitive to his surroundings. It had to be a pretty bad dream to keep him pulled in like that.

As she tried to figure out what to do, she sat on the edge of his bed and stroked his hair while softly humming out loud. She was soon surprised to realize she was humming a lullaby her mother used to sing to her and Kurt was responding to it.

As his tossing and turning began to slow, Anna quietly began to sing the lullaby.

_Omana thinkal kidavo_

_nalla komala thomara poovo_

_Omana thinkal kidavo_

_nalla komala thomara poovo_

Kurt's breathing had slowed and his moaning had stopped. His tail still twitched once in awhile but he no longer had that frightened expression on his face. She still continued to sing anyway, hoping to keep nightmares at bay.

_poovil niranja madhuvo_

_pari poornendu thante nilavo_

_poovil niranja madhuvo_

_pari poornendu thante nilavo_

_puthan pavizha kodiyo_

_cheru thathakal konjum mozhiyo_

_chanjaadiyaadum mayilo_

_mridu panjamam paadum kuyilo_

Not needing to finish the song because Kurt was once more at peace, she stopped singing and stroked his hair one last time before quietly going back to her room.

/

Kurt knew he was dreaming, but he couldn't seem to wake up.

The villagers of Winzeldorf were chasing him again, blaming him for the deaths that his friend Stefan had carried out. Running through the dark in a panic, he tried to escape the angry voices but they always seemed to stay up with him, even when he teleported.

However, that was nothing compared to the devastation he felt for killing Stefan, a man he had grown up with and considered his brother. Stefan had had to be stopped, but Kurt hadn't meant to kill him. His blood was on his hands and he didn't think he could ever be forgiven for it.

The villagers were closing in now and had him backed against a building, their torches lighting up their horrid faces and various knives and guns glinting in the dark.

He knew they were going to destroy him and instead of teleporting, he stayed where he was and closed his eyes. He knew he deserved this, for Stefan's death.

Before the pain of their wrath could reach him, however, a soft humming filling the night air along with the scent of orchids. The angry voices actually began to die down as the humming became louder and turned into singing, chasing all other sound away.

When Kurt opened his eyes, he was no longer in Winzeldorf but on the roof of the X-Mansion with a full moon in the sky.

The song still floated around him in a language he didn't recognize and encircled him like a warm blanket, bringing him comfort and making him forget the pain of his past. All that mattered was the present.

As he drifted in a sea of calm, he was just aware enough to realize that the voice singing sounded familiar…..

/

The next morning Anna heard Kurt approach her on the roof. She had been sitting up there for some time just meditating and enjoying the morning.

With legs crossed and eyes closed, she took deep calming breaths of the crisp air as she waited for him to speak.

However, he merely sat quietly beside her without saying a word.

Without opening her eyes, Anna spoke to him. "Good morning Kurt. Are you well?"

He didn't say anything at first. Instead, he surprised her by wrapping his tail around her waist and squeezing gently before leaning over and kissing her cheek.

"Danke, liebling." He whispered in her ear, sending chills up her spine. His musky scent filling her nose wasn't helping her either.

Opening her eyes, she gave him a concerned look. "Kurt, will you be okay? Is there anything I can do?"

Kurt smiled sadly at her. "Besides singing me to sleep vith your lofely foice?"

He then told her his life story, including his most regretful action of which he had ever told any of his friends before.

**The lullaby mentioned is actually a traditional Indian lullaby in the language Malayalam. Now, there's a chance Anna's family wouldn't speak Malayalam according to her last name (sometimes people with certain last names come from certain areas of India) and the fact that she has already spoken in Hindu. However, I'm going with "her mom heard it somewhere and picked it up".**

**If you would like to hear the song, I personally like Bombay Jayashree's version of it and I posted a link to a Youtube video in my profile.**


End file.
